Apparatus for the treatment of gas or a mixture of gas and vapor in the presence of catalytic agents and for the reactivation of such agents



Oct. 20, 1931. JOSEPH 1,828,146

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF GAS OR A MIXTURE OF GAS AND VAPOR IN THEPRESENCE OF CATALYTIC AGENTS ND FOR THE REACTIVATION OF SUCH AGENTSFiled Dec. 22, 1928 2- Sheets-Sheet l 1931- A. JOSEPH 1,828, 46

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF GAS OR A MIXTURE OF GAS AND VAPOR IN THEPRESENCE OF CATALYTIC AGENTS AND FOR THE REACTIVATION OF SUCH AGENTSFiled Dec. 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheer. 2

5y Mow Patented a. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE ALFRED J 01ENGHEIN', FRANCE, ASSIGNOB TO COMIAGNIE INTEBNAT'IONAIB POUR LAFABRICATION DES ESSENCES ET PETBOLES, OI PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITEDJOINT-STOCK COMPANY, or rmon APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT 01' GAS OR AMIXTURE 01' GAS AND VAPOR II THE PRESENCE OI CATALYTIC AGENTS AND FORTHE REACTIVATION O1 SUCK AGENTS Application filed December 22, 1928,Serial No. 828,011, and in France August 80, 1838.

This invention relates to a fprocess and apparatus for the treatment 0gas or a mixture of gas and vapor in the presence of catalytic agentsand for the reactivation of 5 such agents.

Catalytic agents, in the presence of which reactions are efl'ected, forexample with a view to chemical syntheses, are employed in practiceoften in the form of small solid bodies of inert material carryin thecatalyzing substance fixed either by eposition on the surface or by moreor less intimate mixure.

Now, in the action of a gas injected into a vessel containing suchcatalysts, whether it be in the process of catalysls itself or in theregeneration of the catalysts effected by a reducing s or by anoxidizing gas, the chemical action occurs first at the inlet of the gasinto the apparatus then propagates itself from place to place, in suchmanner that at every instant the reaction 1s essentially concentrated atone point of the catalyzing mass, which involves the following 5disadvantages When the reaction in question is exothermic, as itfrequently is, the heat of reaction, concentrated at every moment in asmall volume, brings an undesirable increase a of temperature which hasto be combatted by appropriate measures.

In the case of regeneration of the cata lysts, the reaction occurs onlyfrom place to place, the action of the gas comes into play only on asmall volume at any given instant,

which involves a regeneration period longer than appears logical. Suchregeneration riod can, obviously, be reduced by increasmg the volume ofthe gases injected per sec- 9 0nd and by means of injection of the gasesin parallel into the various parts of a plant,

but this can be efiected only under certain limits.

In the case of the catalysis itself, the con-' 5 tinuous reactivation ofthe catalysts, by injection of a given gas, proceeds in the aboveindicated fashion, in such manner that at any given instant merely asmall volume of the catalysts are particularly active. In coni sequence,the products to be catalyzed circulating during this period, areincontact only during a relatively short time with catalysts in asuitable state of activity, instead of being during the whole of theirpassage over the total volume of the catalysts employed.

According to the invention, the reaction chambers containing thecatalyzing agents and the inlets for the gases and vapors to be treatedin the presence of such agents are arranged in such manner that all theelements ashion, the reaction in question, be it catal-.

ysis or regeneration, takes place throughout all the masssimultaneously, in such manner that at any 'ven instant the reaction inuestion takes p ace in the same manner an under the same conditions ateach point of the mass of catalysts.

The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of exam le, ap aratussuitable for carrying out the 1nvent1on, in these drawings Fig. 1 is adiagrammatic vertical section of one apparatus, and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified apparatus.

Fig 3 is a diagrammatic vertical section, on a larger scale,.of anothermodified apparatus.

In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1, the vessel containing thecatalysts is a drum A and the operation in question is assumed to bemerely the blowing of air or a mixture of air and steam for theregeneration of the catalysts. Along the axis of A is located a cylinderB perforated throughout its longitudinal wall and which, closed at oneend Q, is connected at the opposite end 6 to an inlet pipe B for aregenerative agent such as air or oxygen for example or a mixture of airand steam. The catalyst C is arran ed on a perforated base a, pipes A AA rnished with cocks are provided respectively for the inlet of gaseousproducts to be catalyzed, the outlet of the products of the reaction andthe outlet of the regenerating agent.

It has been found that the duration of the regeneration can be reducedin the proportion of to 1, relatively to that of injecting air solel atthe top and causing it to traverse the who e drum, and moreover thetemperature attained during regeneration is limited to a far lower levelthan in usual methods.

The same processes and apparatus can likewise be employed forfacilitatin the catalytic reactions. In the diagram 0 Fig. 2, thetubular vessel A contains the catalysts G and the reaction in questionmay be the action on hydrocarbon vapors of nascent hydrogen produced bythe decomposition, b means of a metal oxide, of the sul hurette hydrogencontained in an injecte gas. The perforated tube B located within thedrum A serves for the evacuation or emission of the sulphurettedhydrogen by the pipe B By A the hydrocarbons are admitted in the stateof vapor, and the pipe A serves for the outlet of the hydrocarbons andresidual gases.

It is obvious that the employment of the same processes may be arrangedconcurrently for the purposes of facilitating the catalytic reactions onthe one hand and the regeneration of the catalytic agents on the otherhand.

For this purpose, the catalytic agents may be disposed in a perforatedannular cage, the gases to be treated being admitted by the envelopedwall or by the enveloping wall during the reaction, whereas the gaseousregeneration agent is admitted by the enveloping or enveloped wall,during the reactivation period.

It is not indispensible to employ a tubular cylindrical form for thevessels and con duits. Also the perforations for the admission of thegaseous a ents may be replaced by small metallic nozz es.

A special method of carrying out the proccss described above and anapparatus therefor is illustrated diagrammatically by Fig. 3 of theannexed drawings in lon itudinal sectional elevation through the axis ofthe apparatus, applied, by way of example, to a purifying ap aratus, andcomprising inconsequence a istributing system for the regenerating agentfor the purifying masses.

In this ber closed by a cover and base a and a. The catalytic agent, ofthe catalytic mass type,

metallic or otherwise, is located in this chamher, at C, between twoperforated partitions a and a. In the annular space comprised betweenthe partition (1 and the imperforate cover a opens the pipe H for theinlet of the ases or mixtures to be urified. In the annuar space betweena an a opens the pipe H ig. 3, A denotes an annular cham-' for theoutlet of the purified gases. From the ipe H may be branched an outletipe D or the gaseous regenerating a cut charged with the impuritiesfixed on t e purifying mass.

In accordance with the invention, the gaseous regenerating agent isdistributed simultaneously throughout the entire height of the annularcolumn A, through a series of perforated annular nozzles E, distributedat suitable intervals, which ma be supported by brackets e fixed to thewall of the chamber A, or in any other appropriate manner. These nozzlesare fed with regeneratin gas, this being supplied by a trunk pipe F, romwhich branches a series of pipes G connected respective] to the severalnozzles E.

This orm of construction offers the advanta e of supplying theregenerating agent direct y into the heart of the purifying gas to beregenerated, and of distributing it uniformly in all directions from theinlet zone located at equal distances from the walls of the annularvessel A. Thus the fullest rofit is taken of the advantage mentioned ave, according to which the regenerating air or oxygen being rapidly anduniformly distribute within the mass to be regenerated, the duration ofthe regeneration is considerably decreased, whilst the temperatureattained during the regeneration is maintained as low as necessary,without employing additional means.

Claims:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a substantiall annularreaction chamber having a catal ytic mass therein, a plurality ofannular nozzles embedded. in and distributed uniformly throughout saidmass, supply pipes leading to each of said nozzles, and a common tllnkto which said sup 1 i are connecte QPI n Zo SIJination with a reactionchamber having a catalytic mass therein of the type adapted to catalyzegases and to be regenerated by other es producing an exothermic reactiont erewith, means for suplying the as to be catalyzed to said chamr,means or exhausting the reaction products from said chamber, and aplurality of gas delivering means distributed throughout said chamberfor delivering regenerating as thereto at a plurality of spaced pointsIntween said supply and exhaust means so as to distribute said reeneratin gas simultaneously and uniform y throug out said mass, wherebyexcessive heating is prevented, said gas dehverin means beln independentof said as supp fv means and aving a separate supp y trunk or supplyingregenerating gas thereto.

3. In combination with a reaction chamber having a catalytic masstherein of the type adapted to catalyze gases and to be regenerated byothergases producing an exothermic reaction therewith, means forsupplying the gas to be catalyzed to said chamber, means for exhaustingthe reaction products from said chamber, and a pluralit of nozzlesembedded in said mass at space points between said supply and exhaustmeans for distributing regenerating gas simultaneously and uniformlytherethrough, whereby the reaction period is shortened and excessiveheating is avoided, said nozzles being independent of said gas supplymeans and being connected to a separate supply trunk from which thegen-' erating gas is delivered thereto.

4;. Apparatus of the class described comprising a cylindrical reactionchamber having a catalyst therein, means for supplying material to becatalyzed at one end of said chamber means for exhausting the reactionproducts from the other end of said chamber, and additional meansindependent of said supply means for deliverin a regeneratin agent at aplurality of longitudinally space points within said chamber whereby allelements of the catalytic mass are regenerated substantiallysimultaneously. I

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

ALFRED JOSEPH.

